3D Projects
My youngest students ever…

Someone thought it would be a wonderful idea to hold the regular meeting of their now-almost-two-years-postnatal antenatal mums group in my studio, with the toddlers undertaking an artistic endeavour. Somehow I found myself agreeing! And so it was that four barely toddling toddlers arrived on Monday afternoon for an hour of creative excess (as well as watching the dogs through the window).

I decided to get hold of some Silk Clay, which seems to be a lemony scented marshmallow like substance, that gets more pliable with the addition of small amounts of water, and then air dries and takes spritzed mica sprays very well. Charlie discovered the clay would also stretch marvellously, and suddenly there were strands of the clay pinging around everywhere! Building up the clay onto canvas boards, they pulled, squished, prodded and poked; even Thomas the Tank Engine stuck his wheels in.

After an overnight dry, I spritzed the clay with their colour choices using Cosmic Shimmer Mica Mists, and here are the wonderful creations of my four youngest ever students:

[Please note: I really don’t anticipate this being a departure from my grown-up groups. And I’m certainly not going to entertain thoughts of touring Parent/Toddler groups before you ask 😉 ]

Continue reading

Card Craft
ZIA on other surfaces

I’ve been filming and editing a commissioned tutorial video today – but snatched moments between uploads to create a sample for my April workshop: Zentangle Inspired Art on other surfaces. As well as inviting attendees to tangle on porcelain tiles or mugs, there will also be the opportunity to tangle on fabric. I’ve quilted the square onto a card just to add bit of interest. Do this technique and more on Easter Saturday in my studio in Leicester – book your place here.

IMG_5703_w

Continue reading

3D Projects
Papercraft Garden Bench (with Craftwork Cards)

Papercraft Garden BenchWhen I saw the new Window Box Cards from Craftwork Cards, several ideas came to mind… but for a change, others in the Design Team had beaten me to those! As I looked at the cards a little more, this idea formed, and I spent much of the rest of the day making this garden bench, complete with flower-filled trug and birthday card with envelope. The bench and embellishments feature the new Scrumptious collection, augmented with Liquid Pearls (Flamingo and Juniper) and Star Dust Stickles.

 

3D Projects
Pyrography – the other side

Pyrography - side 2I’ve spent much of the afternoon wiring up outdoor lighting so that it’s much easier to get to and from the studio in the dark! Of course, one job led to another, so the wisteria has had a seeing to as well…

Just before I go and introduce mixed media to my church youth group, I decided to do the other side of my beech tile (12cmx2.5cm), this time working inside. As expected, the Dremel Versatip worked much better in the warm, though somewhat annoyingly the heat rising from the tool was enough to make holding it uncomfortable after a while. I think if I’m going to get into pyrography in a big way I am going to have to invest in the proper kit! Considering the small scale I think the doodled flowers turned out acceptably.

Continue reading

3D Projects
Pyrography – things I’ve learnt today

PyrographyI was lucky enough to be given a Dremel Versatip for Christmas (thanks Dawn & Tim), which, for the unaware, is a butane powered heat tool that has various interchangeable tips. One set is for pyrography, which I also got for Christmas (thanks Tom).

I thought I’d have a go at doing some pyrography this afternoon, and not wanting to have the smell of singed wood mingling with my current quilt-in-the-making, I went outside to do it. It turns out that physics is alive and well, and that with the outside temperature approaching freezing, unsurprisingly a few things happened: I got cold, the tip didn’t really warm up that quickly, I burnt through a reservoir of butane and everything took a lot longer than I expected! However, for a first go, I’m fairly happy with the result.

One other thing I learnt – if you don’t keep the Versatip tool upright there is a risk of unintended scorching as the ceramic catalyst area throws out a lot of heat (that’s the white bit near the tip). Consequently I ended up with a scorched thumb and some scorching on the wood that I didn’t want. Happily the latter sanded off fairly well, and I managed to bring back the contrast fine.

And good old Ikea came to the fore again – the piece of wood I have used is 100% beech tile that they sell in a pack of 100 as building blocks (Fundera) for just £8. These seemed ideal for practice tiles, and may be even for finished projects. Once I have practiced a bit more (in a warmer environment) they might even be the wood equivalent of a zentangle tile?

Continue reading

Quilting
Overlocked Layer Cake Quilt

Following on from my speedy success with my first overlocked (serged) quilt, I popped into Quorn Country Crafts for some spare overlocker needles, and I left with some woolly nylon spools, the needles, a layer cake and another jelly roll of fabric; oh, and an offer to talk to me about leading some quilting classes later on in the year.

For the uninitiated, a layer cake (in quilting terms) is made up of 42 10×10″ squares of coordinating fabric. There’re many different ways of cutting up these squares, but it does also allow for larger squares to be used in patchwork quilting. This is my first layer cake quilt, and I’ve kept to straight lines so that I can use my overlocker for all but the quilting.

Here’s the interim pics – trialling the quilt-as-you-go overlock technique I’m developing – and I’m pleased to report success!

IMG_5612_w

 

Continue reading

Design Team Projects
Sandy Toes Too (for Jones Crafts)

IMG_5602_wI really have used up all the papers I was sent for this month’s projects by Jones Crafts. This 12×12″ layout uses the last of the Sandy Toes Collection. The largest ‘porthole’ is actually hiding the bit I cut out from the ‘Flip Flops’ sheet for the clock face for my beach hut, framed with a circle cut from the ‘Sandy’ sheet. I stuck a square of the ‘Ocean’ sheet behind to fill in the hole. The rest is made up of elements from ‘Beach Bum’, ‘Waves’ and ‘Sea Shells’ sheets.

Continue reading

Design Team Projects
Sandy Toes… but mainly sandy paws (for Jones Crafts)

IMG_5600_wReliving a summer memory is lovely, while the sun is shining (although far from hot!). I’ve just done this 12×12″ layout using what’s left of my Kaisercraft Sandy Toes Collection after I’d made the beach hut clock. This was Esther’s first visit to a beach, and Charlie just loves playing at the water’s edge. I’ve used a Project Life style, but without the pockets, so that best use is made of the 3×4″ cards featured in the collection.

Continue reading

Quilting
The Imperfectionist’s Quilt

IMG_5597_wThe overlocker/serger has been flying away over the last couple of days. Buoyed by the success of my thread catcher, I decided to attempt a quilt using only the overlocker to make. Including making up my own design, working out how to quilt as I went, and all the ironing and cutting and hand-stitched binding, it has taken 14 and a half hours. I think that’s pretty fast! Feature fabric is a Fabric Freedom Noodles Roll (FJ-1/11 Sherbets), alongside calico sashing. The finished size is 44″ x 60″ and I used the majority of the jelly roll.

And the title? Well this made up pattern/technique does not have matching corners – which is just as well, as it’s fairly tricky to line things up on the overlocker as pins and overlockers don’t get on. So I know some quilt purists who would shudder at the thought of this, but I reckon it’s turned out ok! The alternate title is the noughts and crosses quilt… and it’s Quilt No. 011.

Continue reading

3D Projects
Eclectic Elements Thread Catcher

IMG_5583_wI took delivery of my new Pfaff Hobbylock 2.5 yesterday, and after I managed to work out how to rethread it, I of course had to have a go. After a couple of hours yesterday, and a couple more today, I’m officially loving it! I’ve learnt what not to do on it… and that it’s best to have the sewing machine out at the same time. Me being me, I decided to work on a project I’d had in mind for a while, namely to make a thread catcher for use next to the sewing machine. I didn’t like many I’d seen on the web, so I adapted various ideas and made my own. Continue reading